


what in carnation?

by TheSilverField



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Coronavirus, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, Fluff, Garden Center Employee!Eren, Lots and Lots of Plant Puns, M/M, Painter!Levi Ackerman, Pandemics, Plant puns, Teacher!Levi Ackerman, Yuu Asked For This and Here It Is!, garden center au, not so slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 23:48:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29990694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSilverField/pseuds/TheSilverField
Summary: “What makes you think I’ll wanna talk to you personally?” Levi said with a teasing lilt to his voice.Eren looked at him like the answer was staring Levi right in the face. It was. It definitely was.“Because I have beautiful arms.”
Relationships: Levi Ackerman & Eren Yeager, Levi Ackerman/Eren Yeager
Comments: 9
Kudos: 30





	what in carnation?

**Author's Note:**

> a big thank you to YUU!! this fic was really her idea, i'm just the lucky person she wanted to write it!
> 
> yuu, the past couple weeks of talking to you again has been a blast! i love talking plants with you, and i hope this fic lives up to your idea! i absolutely love talking about it with you and love getting to write for you! sending you much love and well wishes!

“It’s settled. We’ll be cutting a bit more of the arts program budget in order to put more funding toward making sure our students have the proper supplies for—“

Erwin had been droning on for almost two hours. Two fucking hours of backhandedly belittling the arts department.  _ Levi’s _ department. Of explaining--in the most boring way possible--that this was the only solution to the massive problem their high school would be facing indefinitely. The Coronavirus outbreak in their community had forced his hand. North Rose High School would be fully transitioning to online teaching. The budget cut was to mainly help provide students with the biology and chemistry lab supplies for the remaining and following year, since many of the families had been affected by lay-offs and lockdown.

“It’s settled, huh?” Levi scoffed.

In his periphery of the Zoom call, Levi noticed Hanji’s head snap up. Mike shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Petra’s attention went to her folded hands while her husband Oluo stared at something offscreen next to her. Nanaba was trying and failing to hide their smirk.

“Yes. Did you have something to add, Mr. Ackerman?”

Levi almost rolled his eyes. One of Erwin’s ridiculous and overly-pretentious rules was that during school hours, including these stupid video meetings, the teachers would refer to each other by their chosen prefix and their last name. It showed a certain level of professionalism and respect that was sure to rub off on the students, or some shit like that.

“I do actually,” Levi said definitively, steely eyes locked on to Erwin’s icy gaze. “Why, again, is it arts taking the blow? Mike and I--”

“Mr. Zacharius.”

“Right, sorry. Mike and I are already having to work around the previous drop and pay more out-of-pocket for  _ our _ supplies. So why us,  _ Mr. Smith _ ? Why us again?”

“Where else would you have me make the cut? We’re all spread as thin as we can possibly be.”

Erwin looked like he already knew what Levi was going to say and it pissed Levi off even more.

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the only program that hasn’t had a budget cut in over--hm, let me do the math--fifteen years?”

Erwin sat back in his desk chair. His bright blue eyes flashed with something that didn’t quite translate through a computer screen. Levi just wrote it off as annoyance.

“You’ve barely been here two years.”

“I do my research.”

Erwin cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak again. Probably some kind of passive aggressive, fake apology. But before he could say anything, another voice, one a thousand times more infuriating, came through Levi’s headphones and made his ears hurt.

“Always trying to cut sports, eh Mr. Ackerman?”

Zeke Jaeger was staring straight into the camera. Not Levi on the screen. The camera. He had a face like a serial killer and a smug shine to his eyes that always made Levi want to punch him so hard he’d lose his beard. Not only that but he was a suck-up. He was always on Erwin’s good side, always the picture perfect PE teacher and overall sports director who’s wins brought in major cash, even for just high school games.

This time Levi really did roll his eyes.

“Look, Jaeger, it’s nothing personal. It’s just a fact. A stupid fucking fact that, in fifteen years, the sports programs haven’t lost a single dime. If anything it’s gotten a boost,” Levi explained tiredly. “We’re in the beginnings of a fucking pandemic that we don’t know how long will last. The kids can’t play anyway, so why not lower the budget  _ there _ and stop making everyone else bust their asses for you!”

Hanji coughed to hide their amusement. Levi knew to have his phone ready when this meeting was over.

“We  _ earn _ the money for our budget,” Zeke stated plainly, a hypothetical slap in the face to Levi. “We sell thousands of dollars in tickets to each game for each sport. My students work and play hard to earn it. You think your finger painting is more important?”

“Listen here, you son of a bitch--”

“Mr. Ackerman, I understand your frustration.”

_ Great, _ Levi thought sullenly, gritting his teeth.  _ Here it comes. _

Erwin continued. “But there is no need for that kind of language directed toward your coworker. We’re all on the same side.”

_ Wait for it. _

“But you do make a valid point.”

Levi opens his mouth and snaps it shut again. He blinks once, then twice, his brain malfunctioning around the words that Erwin just spoke. Everyone--mostly Zeke--looks just as surprised.

“I--” Levi’s words fail him. He must have misheard. He must be imagining things. As much of a fight as he’s put up before, Erwin has never considered actually lowering the sports budget even for a second. “What?”

Erwin raised a brow. “I said you make a valid point. It’s something I’ll have to think about, and I _will_ think about it. We still have a while to get everything set up online, so until then I will be looking into our other option and will notify everyone of our next meeting.”

Levi was still in shock while Erwin was wrapping up by thanking everyone for their time. But not as shocked as Zeke. Before he ended his call, Levi’s expression shifted into a sort-of smug smirk, feeling like even if Erwin was just  _ thinking _ about it he had won a small victory. As soon as he saw the realization cross Zeke’s face and the murder in his eyes, Levi left the call.

It took all of three seconds for his phone to start ringing with Hanji’s goofy face showing in the caller ID photo. He hardly said hello before they both started laughing.

“Did you see his face?!” Hanji cackled, their voice strained.

Levi sobered up more quickly, but snickered again when he pictured Zeke’s expression. “Fuck, that was amazing. Beardy’s probably shitting himself right about now.”

Hanji was trying to stifle themselves from laughing any harder, but Zeke Jaeger’s possible demise after a long time coming was the best medicine for such a horrendous time.

“You think Erwin is actually gonna give the idea actual consideration?”

“He better after that bastard called your work  _ finger painting! _ ” Hanji huffed. “You’ve got more people on your side than you think, Levi. I think if we can all give Erwin a push in the right direction, things may finally change around here.”

Levi sighed. “Yeah, but I can’t convince anyone else to speak up. What if I just made everything worse? I probably made an ass of myself and he’ll just cut the budget even more to get back at me.”

“Levi Ackerman, I know you’re a pretty doom and gloom guy,” Hanji started with a chuckle. “But this kind of melodramatic hopelessness really doesn’t suit you, dearie. Erwin is a good man for one so pompous. He knows how skilled you are and he trusts that. He trusts you. I really don’t think there’s anything to worry about.”

Levi felt the tension in his shoulders ease. Out of all the teachers he could have befriended when he first started at North Rose, he stuck close with the mad scientist. Hanji was a genius teacher and got along great with their students and coworkers. They were genuine in everything they said and their actions always backed it up. No matter how crazy they could get, and how absolutely insane some of their experiments both in and out of classes were, Levi couldn’t help but feel truly lucky they had insisted on eating lunch with him everyday until he agreed to be their friend.

“I mean, you got him to listen this time, didn’t you?”

Levi sighed again. “Yeah. Thanks, Hanji.”

“It’s what I’m here for!” Hanji was beaming, Levi didn’t need to see them to know that. “Now, for god’s sake, don’t sit there and mope about something that hasn’t even happened yet! Be productive! Make busy! Cook! Decorate your apartment! Please!”

Levi rolled his eyes. “My apartment is fine, shithead. Go clean your house or something. Trust me, Moblit will thank you.”

Hanji laughed again, which made Levi smile. “I’m serious! You’re gonna be spending an indefinite amount of time at home, right? Spruce up your living space a little! Goddamn hospitals are more cheery than your place. Hang up some of your paintings, buy some plants, make it look like someone actually lives there!”

“Hanji, I kill cactuses.”

“Cacti.”

“Fine, whatever, I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Stay safe out there! Remember to wash your hands!”

Levi ended the call and sagged back into the dining chair. He couldn’t help but look around a little self-consciously. He hated to admit it, but Hanji was right. There were no paintings on the wall, no weirdass knick-knacks to clutter too-empty space, but that’s how Levi liked it. It was clean. It looked clean.

But now he was realizing that it was also a little depressing.

“Damnit, Hanji,” Levi grumbled to himself, standing up and grabbing his keys.

He was in his car and driving with his three masks on before he even realized it. There was a garden center across town, Shiganshina Street Nursery or something like that. Levi remembered seeing it before and wanting to stop in, but what for? It’s not like Levi would be able to keep anything alive. It was a waste of time and money he could be putting toward lesson plans and his weekly existential crisis.

But if he didn’t have something in camera view the next time Hanji facetimed him he was going to get an earful.

Levi’s eyes widened when the nursery came into view. The parking lot was  _ packed. _ A far cry than what he’d seen driving past before, it had never been so busy. He had half a mind to turn around, but he was already parked and an employee was running up and gesturing for him to roll down his window.

Levi adjusted his masks to make sure they were on properly before rolling his window down.

“Good afternoon, sir! Is this your first time shopping with us since the pandemic?”

“Uh,” Levi stammered. The guy talking to him had his face masked as well, but judging from those striking green eyes, Levi could tell he was a vision. “Yes.”

He glanced down at the guy’s shirt. It was drenched in sweat, soaked through completely. That should have been enough to send him right back home then and there. But he was built as hell, looking like a fucking Greek god with his sun-golden skin and long hair, and that made Levi stay.

“Awesome!” Greek God Guy said so cheerily it almost made Levi jump. “Unfortunately we’re at max capacity right now, so I’ll have to ask you to wait in your car. That okay with you?”

Levi just stared a moment too long, prompting the employee to crook an eyebrow. “What? Oh, yeah, no problem.”

Greek God Guy was smiling beneath his mask. Or smirking. Levi couldn’t tell exactly but the corners of his eyes were crinkling. “Thanks. I’ll be right back to let you in, Mr.--?”

“Levi. Just Levi. Only my students call me mister and even then I hate it.”

“Makes you feel old?”

“I’m not old.”

“I never said you were.” Smirking. Greek God Guy was definitely smirking. He started walking away before he paused to turn around again. “And, I gotta say, no matter how  _ not old _ you are, you’re looking pretty good, Levi.”

Levi was left with his window rolled down, blinking into the now empty space that once held that beautiful bastard. It took him a moment to gather himself. To really process what just happened.

There was smirking. And  _ flirting _ . For less than two minutes, but flirting nonetheless. Something about it made Levi feel  _ giddy _ , like a kid in junior high getting noticed by his crush. But it also made him nervous.

Greek God Guy looked pretty young. He was probably just messing with Levi after he noticed him staring. He might not even be into other men. Not only that, but Levi thought he was probably reading too much into it. He was probably just being nice, customer service was his job after all.

He might even be laughing about Levi with his coworkers right now. Levi had been very obviously staring at him. The poor kid might’ve even been uncomfortable.

“Nope,” Levi said to himself. Locking eyes with himself in the rearview mirror. “We’re not gonna go there.”

An almost insufferable amount of time passed while Levi waited for Greek God Guy’s return. He had gone through at least six different radio stations, lost about 40% of his phone battery, and was about to just write everything off and leave while he still had a shred of dignity left.

But then he saw him.

Greek God Guy was jogging over to his car. It was like that scene in Baywatch where everything moves in slow motion, only this guy was way hotter than the entire cast put together, and half of his goddamn face was covered.

He was also not shirtless, which Levi found himself thinking was unfortunate.

“Hey, I’m so sorry about the wait, Levi. Ready to head in?”

He said Levi’s name so casually, as if they’d known each other their whole lives. It made Levi want to hear it again and again.

“Yeah, sure, not a problem,” Levi fumbled, forcing himself not to stare as he gloved his hands and gathered his things.

Levi didn’t realize how fucking tall Greek God Guy was until he was standing next to him, which seemed to make all his prior insecurities return tenfold. But Greek God Guy didn’t seem to notice the height difference. That, or he didn’t care as he walked with Levi up to the front of the building.

“So, you’ve never been here before. Would you like some help?”

Levi was pushed out of his thoughts again, quirking an eyebrow. “How do you know I’ve never been here before? I just said earlier that I hadn’t been since the pandemic started.”

Greek God Guy chuckled. “You just look overwhelmed, that’s all. Were you looking for anything in particular? Indoor, outdoor?”

“Um--” Levi’s head was reeling. “Indoor?”

The employee’s eyes seemed to light up even more, which made Levi’s burn like he was staring straight into the sun. “Cool! My favorite thing to help with! I’ll show you to the greenhouse.”

Greek God Guy brought Levi inside and started walking toward a side door, but another flustered-looking employee ran up to stop him.

“Eren! Thank god! There’s a woman trying to come to check out without a mask! She said her’s fell off outside and she doesn’t want to put on another! What do I do?!”

_ Eren. _

Eren set his hands on the young woman’s shoulders. She couldn’t have been but about twenty and looked scared out of her mind. The customer must be giving her hell.

“Easy, Historia. Offer her a free mask. If she refuses, get Mikasa or my mom on the walkie. They seem to love kicking people out,” Eren teased, and ruffled her long blonde hair. “Remember, we have every right to refuse service if they don’t follow our policies. Everything’s gonna be fine no matter what you have to do.”

The girl, Historia, visibly relaxed, but she still looked like she might cry. “Okay. Okay, I can do that. Thanks, Eren!”

Historia scurried back to the front of the store, leaving the two of them alone again. Eren glanced back at Levi and shrugged, then continued to lead them into an absolute  _ jungle _ .

Hundreds of vining plants hung from the rafters, some with bright pink flowers and fuzzy-looking leaves, others that were dark green and glossy, speckled with white or gold. There were medium and large trees with their nursery pots carefully placed inside more decorative pottery, their leaves the shape of violins. Table after table of what Levi had no idea, but was completely enraptured by. The air coming through his mask was musty like soil, but still so fresh somehow.

Eren was looking at him like he was waiting for something, almost a little guarded. Like Levi might actually insult him and leave. Levi would be surprised if that had happened before, it was beautiful here.

“Uh,” Levi took a deep breath. “Where the fuck do I even start?”

Eren seemed to relax with some sort of relief. “Why don’t you just look around a bit? Take it all in. If you have any questions, I’ll be watering right over here.”

Levi looked toward where Eren was pointing and nodded. “Okay. Thank you, Eren.”

Their eyes were locked for about a minute and a half. Then Eren’s eyes crinkled again. “Yeah, no problem, Levi.”

Levi was left to  _ take it all in. _ For a while, he just stood there doing exactly that, forcing himself not to look over in Eren’s direction. When the crippling anxiety that he probably looked like a helpless idiot set in, he finally resigned himself to walk up and down the rows of tables.

Everything was fucking immaculate. There were no withered or dying plants, all the dirt was actually  _ inside _ the pots and not all over the floor--that shouldn’t have been important, but it was a huge turn on to Levi at least--everything was so organized with signs for each section based on light and water requirements. Even each type of plant had their own sign explaining if it was susceptible to bugs or fungus or if it was toxic to animals. If it were easy, moderate, or hard to care for. With each additional table, Levi felt a little less overwhelmed by the sheer size of the greenhouse and found himself engrossed in its contents.

There was one table in particular that had caught his eye, and it wasn’t just because it was the one Eren was currently watering. That would be silly.

Levi could see the sign clearly. Begonias. He had heard of that somewhere before, was sure that his mother kept those around the house when he was young. Whatever the case, they were beautiful. There were some brushing into Eren’s hair from their hanging pots, some shaped like wings painted with white polka dots and a crimson underbelly. Some were silver, light and dark green, even purple, and some a bright mix, all with the same tiny pink or white flowers.

“Like what you see, Levi?”

Eren’s voice made him jolt, and he was so thankful for the mask covering his blushing cheeks when he had been caught staring for a second time.

“What? Yeah! The plants. I like the plants. They’re good. Very pretty.”

Eren chuckled, that bright, blinding shine coming back to his eyes. “I’m glad you like them. Begonias are my favorite.”

Levi felt a strange surge in his chest. It made his legs work without his permission and take him all the way to Eren. Their eyes met again, and before Levi could get caught swooning, he looked back at the plants on the table.

“Any particular reason?”

Eren’s eyes softened as he brushed his fingers over the leaves. “Not really, I just think they’re some of the prettiest plants. They’re easy to care for, not too fussy. And just look at these Angel Wings.”

Levi nodded, finding the begonias even more beautiful from the way Eren was looking at them. “Is that your favorite? The Angel Wings?”

Eren was grinning again and Levi would give anything to actually see it. “Yeah, it is. You want one?”

Levi thought for a second. He had no idea what he was doing when it came to plants. Eren said it was easy, but did that mean it would be easy for Levi too? He killed cactuses--cacti--for god’s sake, so would he actually be able to care for a houseplant?

“Yeah. Yeah, I think so.”

Eren was searching his face, green eyes intense and soft all at once. His gaze had Levi shifting, waiting. He blinked once before turning to the table, sorting through all the little Angel Wing Begonias before he finally found one he thought good enough. Eren held it out to Levi.

“Here you go. Start small and work your way up.”

Levi took the tiny plant in his hands, his gloved fingers brushing against Eren’s. His eyes locked onto where they were touching, moving slowly up Eren’s arms and lingering a bit too long on his biceps. For a moment, he was frozen in time.

“Levi?”

“You have beautiful arms.”

“What?”

“What?”

_ What?! _

The mortification hit in less than a second. Levi snatched the plant away and took several steps back, nearly knocking into a display of Tillandsia.

“Uh, yes, thank you so much for your help, Eren. I will be leaving now while I still have any pride at all.”

Levi made for the door as quick as he could, but Eren calling after him actually made him stop and look back. He was writing something on a piece of paper he had pulled from his pocket, jogging over to offer it to Levi.

“If you have any questions about the plant, text me. I’m happy to help, or just talk too. If you want.”

Levi looked down at the piece of paper. It was a business card for the nursery, but there scribbled on the bottom was Eren’s name and what Levi could obviously guess was his personal number. He looked back up at Eren’s face, waiting for the inevitable gotcha. But it didn’t seem to be coming.

There was a slow spark that went off in his chest. For a moment, the anxiety was gone. Or buried deep under the flash of bravery that went through him. Whatever the case, Levi didn't want to waste this reckless courage for a single minute.

“What makes you think I’ll wanna talk to you personally?” Levi said with a teasing lilt to his voice.

Eren looked at him like the answer was staring Levi right in the face. It was. It definitely was.

“Because I have beautiful arms.”

Levi pushed his tongue into his cheek to keep from laughing, but couldn’t hide the fact that he was more than amused. He took the card and put it in his own pocket.

“If I get the virus from this shitty paper I’m going to sue.”

Eren threw his head back and laughed. “Deal. Stay safe out there, Levi.”

Levi couldn’t help but smile now. “Yeah. You too.”


End file.
